Five and Twenty Cures for a Long Day
by Eldhoron
Summary: Adventure! Romance! Humour! A collection of 25 one-shots based on prompts featuring the elves of Mirkwood and each one including Elros the Guard. No angst and written to lift overworked, tired spirits looking for some fun. Warnings will be given with chapters but expect slightly more mature content. Starring: Elros, Galion, Lethuin, Feren, Thranduil, and more cameos.
1. Another Adventure Starting With Wine

**Summary:** **Adventure! Romance! Humour! A collection of 25 one-shots based on prompts featuring the elves of Mirkwood and each one including Elros the Guard. No angst and written to lift overworked, tired spirits looking for some fun. Warnings will be given with chapters but slightly more mature content. Starring: Elros, Galion, Lethuin, Feren, Thranduil, and more cameos.**

 **A/N: So, this began after one long hard day at the clinic. I came home wanting to read something enjoyable and humorous. I went looking and found some amazing stories that were just that but I didn't find any stories with my favourite character, Elros the Guard. Of course, I had to rectify that! I decided to make a collection of one-shots based on a list of prompts I found on Tumblr featuring Elros and that is how it began. If you want the prompts PM me and I will give you the list. I by no means own the prompts or the characters (except my OC's) and am merely using them. Strictly adhering to the prompts is not this collection's purpose but I am going to try to do them justice. This is the first one-shot in the collection. It is a two-part story.**

 **Warnings: NONE**

 **Prompt: "don't stop"**

 **Title: Another Adventure Starting with Wine**

* * *

 **Part 1**

"You really think you can get away with this again?" Galion asked dubiously. The small butler was standing not far to Elros' right watching the guard with all intensity. His words carried not only a large amount of disbelief, but also a deep undertone of warning.

Elros himself was in a different stance. He was not glaring with arms crossed like the butler nor did his frame connote any firm admonition. In fact, Elros was quite happy to be honest. He was quite happy indeed amidst his task, which was involving balancing on two barrels and trying desperately to reach the top shelf of the king's private reserve. Now, if only the floor would stop dancing. It was beginning to make him dizzy. The gleaming dark-stained bottles were not being the most still either…

"Elros, did you even hear what I said?" Galion inquired once again.

Elros finally looked back at his friend then gave a grin. "I almost reached them. Too bad you are so short you know. If you weren't so short, you could come up here and give me a boost… though you do look quite strong…" Elros mused aloud, his eyes starting to shimmer like the liquor in the coveted bottles.

Galion was not moved by Elros' ridiculous notions. "I'm not giving you anything. You're going to get caught."

Elros chuckled turning back to study the large shelf. His mind conjured another idea, a better idea. "I'm going to climb it, Galion," Elros proclaimed.

Feeling the urge to roll his eyes but also a genuine curiosity blossom, Galion merely waved a hand, inviting the guard to do as he had mind. The butler doubted the young ellon would be able to even get onto the first two shelves and certainly not the highest. Galion scanned the depths of the cellars. He knew he had placed that step stool _somewhere_ –

An "oomph" coming from Elros pulled the butler from his thoughts. The elf had gotten past the first two shelves and was presently making slow progress past the middle shelves (numbers six and seven). The dark haired ellon clung to the edges of the intricately carved ledges with strong fingers as he climbed towards the prizes above.

Galion's mouth dropped at the sight, partially stunned Elros' vigour and partially dumbfounded by the sheer fact that the ellon was getting where he wanted to go. The moment didn't last long, however.

Elros grinned to himself, turning his eyes upwards to gaze at those glistening bottles of wonderfulness. He was almost there! Suddenly, the guard experienced a desire to speak his happiness. Looking down at the butler he said through a wide smile, "Told you Galion! I'm going to get them!" He exclaimed removing his left hand to point at the beloved prize… _Oh crap!_

The ellon's mind became instantly sober as panic overtook Elros. His right hand slipped under the weight and distraction. A moment later Elros landed hard on the grey stone floor, feeling the wind be knocked straight from his lungs in a second. His body curled in pain.

Galion quickly rushed to his friend's aid, yet as he knelt down beside the whimpering elf, he couldn't help but think the fall was exactly what the guard had deserved. "I knew it," Galion muttered softly while palpating Elros' everything and looking for anything broken. It had been quite a fall…

He pulled Elros' arms away from the guard's face, revealing an anguishing countenance. "Are you crying?!" Galion exclaimed incredulously. His voice echoed down the golden lit halls.

Elros simply nodded holding his elbow. "It TINGLES!" He screamed on the verge of delirium.

Galion sighed completely exasperated. He had no idea why… just why… "You are going to pay for this one day," Galion said sharply annoyed at his best friend.

A noise on the edge of hearing cut Galion off from saying more. The sound of heavy boots coming down the passageway caused his blood to run cold. He shushed Elros' moaning. The elf surprised him once again by actually quieting down.

Elros must have realised what the sound was the same instant as Galion for the two instantaneously bolted upright. "Someone is coming," Elros spoke the obvious.

Galion nodded not wasting anytime pondering who it could be. The butler immediately seized Elros' hand, dragging him further into the cellars. Silently, the butler cursed the layout of the wine chambers as they ducked in and out of the passageways. Elros stumbled along behind Galion until Galion finally scurried down the last set of stairs into the deepest room of the cellars.

"Now where?" Elros asked anxiously. The sound of the boots was much diminished but both ellyn knew (even Elros in his slightly inebriated state) that the seeker would not stop until he had checked everywhere. All palace guards stationed in this area knew the price of tampering with the king's wine. Elros gulped at that thought. He didn't want to be punished. He had merely been thirsty…. Galion was talking to him.

"Come help me." The butler said while swiftly re-stacking a pair of barrels against the far left wall. He seemed to be reorganising them or something…

Elros moved to help his friend lifting the large wooden cylinder easily. "Why?"

The question was answered the next moment. A narrow fissure in the natural stone wall of the room was revealed to them. A crisp draft came out of the uncovered passage. It did much to lift the fog from Elros' head.

"Here," Galion said, shuffling inside. The butler could walk fine in the small space but Elros was a more heavily built elf and besides that he was still in his issued armour.

The guard hesitated. "I don't know if I can – " His words were cut off by the sound of _more_ boots. These footfalls were much hastier in their rhythm. The sound of their pursuers was enough to convince Elros.

"I can fit!" He whispered fearfully shimmying into the space and rapidly rolling the barrel back into its original position. He hoped it still looked normal… The space was not as tiny as he had thought it was and Elros was able to straighten somewhat as he followed the fast moving butler, though Elros did have to squeeze sideways through a handful of tight bends.

The tight bends were the worst. Galion did his best to warn his friend whenever a turn was coming but Elros bumped into many walls during the journey. There was no light in the tunnel. It seemed entirely natural, made of the rough grey stone of the region and slanting downward at a gentle angle. As they moved on (Elros was beginning to wonder when they would get to their destination and where that destination really was) the floor became slick as a tiny murmuring ribbon of water went along the passage as well. The smell of wet earth flowed freely in the space, never ceasing to send out fresh breaths of scent-laden air through the tunnel from the opening.

Finally. Finally! Elros caught a glimpse over Galion's huddled shoulder of soft grey light at the end of the tunnel. "Galion," he whispered.

"Yes, I know. It leads to the barrel drop or at least nearby it," Galion said quietly in response to the ellon. He continued up the path, smirking when he heard Elros comment in the background.

"That's cool."

Soon, within a couple of minutes, the two elves stepped from the fissure to be bathed in gentle moonlight and soothed by the melodic sound of rushing water. Galion breathed a sigh of relief. He was sure the guards would not be able to find them now. They had probably stopped looking entirely by now. He turned to face Elros, whose low grunting was echoing far in the cavernous place. The elf looked stuck trying to wriggle free of the crevice.

"What are you doing?" Galion asked growing tired of dealing with the drunken guard. He really did not know why he did not just leave him there. He should have.

"I'm fine," Elros growled, becoming frustrated by his plight.

Galion twerked an eyebrow. It was Elros' usual answer when things were quite the opposite. "Really?"

"No! Bloody damn, help me!" Elros snapped.

Galion felt a strange _bad_ feeling of amusement and had to laugh. The deep euphonious sound mingling beautifully with the roaring river only served to further anger the trapped ellon.

"Help?" Elros pleaded. His dark irises met Galion's hazel eyes miserably.

Galion sighed. "Fine." Moving over to aid the elf, Galion gripped Elros' arm and pulled.

It took more effort than Galion had first perceived but with one final yank and a yelp from the yankee, Elros was loosed.

The guard fell face down on the wet ground. Spitting gavel from his mouth, he staggered upright. "Thanks mellonenín."

Galion was opening his mouth to tell the fool that his thanks didn't really mean anything when a stern male voice interrupted this time. "Oh, you should have kept him there, Galion."

The two ellyn startled whirling around to face the eavesdropper. There sitting half shrouded in silky pale moonlight was their king. "Don't stop talking now," The voice prodded mock gently.

Elros and Galion could only stare slack jawed at the figure.

"I've been wondering who persisted in stealing from me," Thranduil said.

Elros and Galion merely swallowed. How he was going to talk his way out of this one, Elros had no idea.


	2. Another Adventure Starting With Wine: 2

**A/N: Here is the final part to the previous one-shot**

 **Warnings: NONE**

 **Title: Another Adventure Starting with Wine: Part II**

 **Prompt: "Please don't"**

 **Part 2**

The two ellyn now held audience inside the king's throne room. After being caught leaving the cellars through Galion's previously secret passageway, the two elves had been escorted by the king and his royal guards to the large open space. Presently, Elros stood beside Galion far more sober than he had been at the barrel drop but still somewhat intoxicated. The two were apprehensively waiting for the king to speak.

Thranduil was seated atop his ornate throne seemingly lost in thought. The king had changed garments into something much more garishly regal. Elros couldn't help but think that the tiny bright yellow flowers in the king's crown were incompatible with such a stern face at the moment but perhaps the irony… He couldn't remember how that saying went… It was ironic.

Finally, the king spoke. His rich voice felt strangely cold this time when usually it sounded more soft like a strong fragrance that soothes. "Who wishes to speak first?" Thranduil asked, glancing from Elros to Galion then settling on Elros.

Galion chose to speak first lest his friend say more than he should. "What is there to explain, my lord?"

Thranduil gave the butler an indifferent look, keeping his gaze on Elros.

Of course, the guard took it as his cue to speak. He had to get this right or it would not work… "You probably want to know what it was we were doing in that secret tunnel, huh?"

The king made no motion to interrupt Elros and the elf continued, "You see that was somewhat private business… We were busy alright but not doing what you may think, my lord. We were planning, my lord." The last sentence Elros spoke with a definite hint of conspiracy on his lips.

"And what were you two planning _,_ " Thranduil inquired, feigning curiosity.

Elros felt his spirits lift somewhat. The king appeared to be taking the notion fairly well. It was the half-truth but it seemed to be doing well in misleading the king.

Galion on the other hand was screaming inside. He couldn't contradict what Elros was leading onto but by no means was the king buying the poorly constructed story of the guard. It was just too… ridiculous.

Elros kept on painfully weaving the lie, completely oblivious, "We were planning on what to do about the missing wine. We thought it was part of our _duty_ to do something about it – "

"My lord, please do not listen to him. He is obviously inebriated," Galion interrupted his friend. He would not have been able to handle watching the proud king's face twist into a smirk any longer… not to mention the floundering ellon beside him.

Elros sputtered at the butler's disruption. "Excuse me?!" The guard exclaimed, turning to face Galion and giving him a wounded look.

"Elros, you are _drunk_. Let _me_ handle this," Galion ground out through clenched teeth. He was very aware that the king was now showing that brilliantly annoying smirk in full.

Elros furrowed his brow then lowered his voice to a harsh whisper (which Thranduil could still hear perfectly by the way). "Galion you're ruining it," Elros hissed.

Thranduil had to fight to keep the chuckle behind his teeth. These two were the most worthless elves he had ever met. He rose his hand to halt the reply forming on Galion's lips. "I really do not need either of you. You are both expendable."

The stark words cut through the atmosphere like a hot knife through butter. Both ellyn immediately became stock still. Their gazes fixed on the ice blue irises of Thranduil king's sharp glance.

"Please don't, my lord…" Elros began but he was stopped by Thranduil flashing his sculpted hand into the air.

"I have decided your punishments. You will both be stationed to the horse stalls for two weeks starting tomorrow. Cleaning duty will be your task. You start at dawn and finish at sunset. Leave me," Thranduil finished sharply.

The two ellyn nearly fell to their knees at the shrewd dismissal but immediately left to do their king's bidding.

 **XxX**

Elros cracked open his eyes. The golden sunshine was shimmering right into his face rather harshly. It made him cringe… Exhaling and bringing his arm to shade from the bright light, he closed his eyes again yearning to fall back to sleep…. _Wait a minute._ His room didn't have windows. His room was always dark in the mornings. Elros swiftly sat upright, a motion that caused rainbow stars to bloom in his vision and a sharp spike of pain to be felt in his left temple. Panic, however, overwhelmed past the discomfort. His eyes scanned over the room.

It was a small room with rough, bare grey stone walls that showcased the natural beauty of the palace. Two narrow windows were set in the east wall to Elros' right and to Elros' left was a darkly stained wooden nightstand set against the west wall. The rest of the room was furnished with a matching desk and drawer, which were also stained a beautiful dark colour.

Memories were beginning to creep up on Elros. This room was familiar… Elros barked in alarm when Galion the butler walked in from the washroom busily buttoning up the last fastenings on what looked to be a heavy duty set of coveralls. "What are doing here? What am I doing here?!" Elros asked.

Galion continued his show of nonchalance, but the stance slowly changed to irritation as his voice went on. "You were drinking last night and kept coming back to my room to talk. I had to sleep in the chair because of you. Do you remember anything that happened last night?"

Elros thought back to the foggy memories from last night. _Uh-oh…_ He thought he knew why Galion was wearing those coveralls...

Galion nodded, guessing that Elros knew at least most of their punishment.

"No, seriously?" Elros whined. "I thought it was a bad dream…. Wake me, please?"

The butler pressed his lips into a thin line. "You're not dreaming, unfortunately. You can blame yourself, fool. Now get dressed and get out of my room. I'm angry at you."

Elros lowered his eyes apologetically then got out of bed. He supposed he had a lot of work to do.

 **XxX**

The sound of a shovel digging into manure was all Elros had been hearing for the whole morning. It was really becoming a drag, this job. He hadn't been consigned to manual labour in an age (not literally) … Not to mention Galion's behaviour had him in a bind. The blasted butler wouldn't even look at him, nor had he spoken a word.

There had been many many times in just these few hours that Elros had wanted badly to say something about anything and that damn elf would just ignore him. Elros decided to try again. "Galion, when is lunch time again?"

This time the butler did respond. "At lunch," Galion said, sighing.

"You know this really sucks," Elros commented.

"Yes, it does," Galion replied.

"I thought your secret tunnel was secret?" Elros inquired, knowing that the question could come across as bothersome but at the moment things really couldn't get any worse.

The butler halted his work, leaning against his shovel. "I thought it was too."

"Who do you think – " Elros words were interrupted by the sound of the barn door opening. Both ellyn turned to face the noise. Each made a face when they saw who it was that had shown up. _Feren. Blast this day has gotten worse._

The bugger was notorious for being a complete arse around the palace. Elros didn't even know why he was still in the service. It was rumoured the auburn-haired messenger was of the king's line. Indeed, everyone knew Feren was exactly that type of Sindarin-supremacist as the king… though perhaps Feren was a little less low-key than Thranduil.

The messenger inclined his head as he came to a stop about a few feet away from them. "Good morning, my fine servants. I was sent by King Thranduil to deliver a message. Care to hear it?"

"Not really," Elros muttered, trying to keep his voice on the fine line between caustic yet respectful enough to not warrant a rebuke.

"Good," Feren said, smirking.

 _Valar, they even have the same bloody smirk…_ Elros braced himself for the news.

"The king wishes to inform you that I am going to be keeping an eye on you for the remainder of your punishment."

That… That had to be the worst news possible. The two ellyn had to supress a sigh. Galion had the grace to respond, "Well, that is interesting."

"Yes, it is going to be _very_ interesting. Now, I will leave you two to your duties. Don't forget stall eleven-B. That mare has been having… issues." With that, Feren turned and glided out of the barn.

Elros was the first to speak as usual. "This is going to be a long fortnight."

Galion nodded, getting back to his shovelling. After a moment Elros did too. "I can kill him if you want," the guard offered.

The butler gave a half smile. "Go ahead."

Elros grinned but continued working.


	3. An Interruption

**Warnings: PASH!**

 **Title: An Interruption**

 **Prompt: "Don't leave me"**

Elros laid on the green sward bare chested. A grove of tall standing trees stood watch not far away from the ellon. His tunic lay nearby on the grass. This was the first time he had been to this particular space near the palace, and he was loving it. The feeling of the golden sunshine warming his bare skin was priceless. He relished the counter feeling of the soft breeze tousling his hair, cooling his head. The water eagles soared above the glistening blue lake looking for an easy meal. One of the birds swept down suddenly, falling with a piercing cry but pulling up at the last second. A white splash echoed over the previously undisturbed lake and the bird climbed with a silver fish held within its grip.

Elros allowed a smile to play across his lips, brightening his countenance. The sound of his deep laughter travelled far as the guard tipped his head back and let his mirth come out. Life was worth being filled with laughter. He felt glad this day. Now, if only he could share it with someone special. There was one way he had always been able to share it with someone…

The guard closed his eyes. For a moment, he let the sun on his face soothe him into a state of peace. Tentatively, he stretched out his awareness, first with his physical senses then followed by his conscious mind.

 _Elros sat on soft lush grass by the shore of a shimmering lake. The sun rode low in the sky. The day had passed slowly in its course and now the sunset was overtaking the horizon, turning the treeline into a flaming landscape of brilliant pinks and reds. The colours were reflected on the smooth skin of his lover. Her beautifully sculpted cheeks looked so soft in the gentle lighting._

 _The guard, no he was a carpenter again, reached out his calloused fingers to caress that perfect face. Her bright cerulean eyes sparkled at the mesmerised look playing on her husband's face._

 _That sparkling gleam in her eyes was enough to throw him off the edge. He inhaled at the sight of her smile lighting his whole world, sending that burning desire zipping through his veins. What he would not do to keep that smile on her face. He opened his mouth to speak his thoughts but his body changed his mind for himself. What better way to show her his love?_

 _Elros dipped his head into an easy kiss. Relishing the heat of her mouth, savouring the taste of his wife. She responded to him, opening up to his advances and darting a tongue in between luscious red lips._

 _The move surprised him. He almost broke the pash, but his surprise wore off when she continued on without hesitation. They deepened the kiss. Elros moved his left hand to frame her face, tangling his fingers in her blonde tresses, while using the right to dig into the soft turf for support. "I love you," Elros breathed against that wonderful, nibbling mouth. Stirrings in his trousers further roused him, the sound of his own heartbeat flooded his hearing._

 _She pulled back to meet his lust-filled gaze. "Show me."_

 _He pulled her close in a crushing response, pressing his lips once again to hers all the while his roaming hands travelled down her shoulders. Her soft moan was not lost on him…_

"I didn't expect to see you here alone," A voice interrupted Elros' thoughts rudely.

His dark eyes fluttered open. He knew that voice. The guard sat up looking around for the newcomer. His gaze settled on a short unassuming butler in red. _Galion_. Elros sighed in relief, giving the ellon a smile and waving him over.

Galion returned the smile and stepped through the grass towards his friend. "What were you doing?" The butler asked with a slight teasing mirth lacing the innocent words.

Elros fought a grimace but kept his voice level. "Just enjoying the weather," he replied, motioning to the surrounding beauty. All remnants of his previous fantasy were lost… Most remnants. He folded his legs inconspicuously as his friend, Galion the butler sat beside him.

"Ah." Galion nodded, taking a deep breath to take in the atmosphere around them for himself. "It is nice."

"Yes, it is," Elros said.

The two friends sat in silence appreciating the weather and the scenery for a handful of minutes. Finally, Elros broke the quiet. His fantasies were shattered but he could still make the best out of the butler's presence. "I should have brought a fishing rod."

Galion tutted. "You are always keeping busy, aren't you?" Galion chided. The glint in the smaller elf's hazel eyes was unmistakable.

"I like to do nothing sometimes, but most of the time I do have to have something occupying my hands," Elros responded. The ellon seemed to enjoy teasing him. It was all well, Elros could make fun of the little elf too. Unfortunately, Galion did not pursue the bait and passed over the comment.

"I know. Why didn't you bring a fishing rod?" Galion inquired, leaning back to sink into a more relaxed position.

"I came to rest. Why didn't you?!" Elros chuckled.

Galion cleared his throat trying hard but failing miserably to keep from grinning. "I came to see where you had wandered off to. I certainly didn't some to fish."

Elros rolled his eyes but didn't reply.

After another silence, Galion spoke up tentatively, trying not to sound too jeering but failing. "Be honest with me… Did I interrupt anything?"

Elros kept his eyes fixed on the shining lake, considering his answer. He supposed that it was just Galion he was talking to after all. He trusted the elf with nearly everything. It wouldn't be the most embarrassing thing the butler had caught him doing… "You did actually," Elros said with a small laugh on his lips.

Galion half smiled. The effort he was putting into _not_ laughing himself was considerable. "I knew it. That look on your face… was pretty obvious. If you want I can leave you to your fantasy wife."

Elros felt his cheeks begin to burn slightly. "She was real once."

Galion shrugged. "Still, if you want me to…"

Galion's offer trailed to silence when Elros startled the butler suddenly with a sharp intense stare. "No, don't leave. I like the company you bring."

Galion inclined his head, grinning on the inside. "Alright, I won't leave."

Elros mirrored the ellon's movements. The fine blades of grass were unexpectedly so fascinating. They swayed in the slight breeze like nothing else in the world. It was amazing that such a small world could live so vibrantly under their feet. Right under their noses an entire undiscovered realm lived freely. It was utterly baffling whenever Elros pondered it.

Galion sat up from his reclining position then stood, pulling Elros from the thoughts.

Elros looked up at the stretching butler. "What are you doing?" Elros asked.

"I hope you don't mind if I leave for a few minutes to run and retrieve some fishing poles?"

Elros teeth flashed brilliantly. That elf always had a way of catching him unawares. "Let me go with you." Swiftly, the guard rose and took off, daring the smaller elf to follow.


	4. Plan B

**A/N: This is ridiculous.**

 **Warnings: NONE**

 **Title: Plan B**

 **Prompt: "Give it"**

"What am I doing with my life, Galion?" Elros asked half seriously. He didn't expect an answer from his companion, but nonetheless was given one by the small butler.

"You are a Keeper of the Keys. I thought it was a very honourable station, honestly. You should be grateful," Galion said, not taking his sparkling eyes off his own dark leather boots. They crunched over dirt and rocks with a delightful sound.

The two ellyn were walking a small trail, taking a weekend stroll to one of their favourite places to meet. An evening planned with many games of cards and much snacking was in store for the two. The sun rode low in the sky. She was not so far down to alight the firmament with her usual spectacular display, but still gave off a wonderfully rich hue that saturated the lush forest of Greenwood the Great.

Elros replied, "I know… I am," he added hastily. Taking a deep breath Elros stretched his arms to the blue sky and flashed a grin. "I am very happy. I suppose it was merely musings."

Both ellyn stopped dead in their tracks when a sharp snap was heard. The sound echoed far in the woods, seemingly coming from the south.

"What was that –" Galion began but his voice was cut off by a loud, clear whiny. The sound was definitely coming from the south. It didn't sound terribly far away either.

"It came from that way," Elros said, gripping his silver sword pommel and taking off at a light run in the indicated direction.

"Oh, wait for me!" Galion called, starting after his friend, the guard, and regretting not bringing a knife on the excursion like Elros had always pestered about. _Oh, well it is probably not anything too dramatic anyways,_ he thought sourly as he ran.

Elros' swift footsteps took him quickly over the terrain. He did not draw his sword though he kept his hand firmly on the hilt even as it jarred and swayed against his thigh while he ran. The horse belted forth another loud cry. It did not sound frightened or in any kind of trouble… His run came to an abrupt halt after the guard vaulted over an ancient, fallen tree and saw what exactly had been making that sound. It hadn't been a horse after all…

There standing right before the dark-haired ellon was a shimmering white steed sporting a beautifully shaped, spiralling, glimmering, sparkling, pearlescent white horn which protruded out from its forehead. Elros knew what this was… It was a unicorn. The sight of the magnificent animal, standing proud in the midst of a ring of gnarled alder trees stopped Elros dead in his tracks.

The guard was vaguely aware of Galion skidding to a halt beside him, but Elros' gaze was presently transfixed. Suddenly, the unicorn reared as if to dare the gaping ellyn closer… The pull of the beast's piercing glance was almost palpable hanging in the atmosphere.

Finally, after a few seconds, Elros snapped out of the daze he had entered and the sheer weight of their discovery hit him like cold water. They had found a unicorn and he was standing here gawking?! Very cautiously, the ellon took a couple of slow steps forward. He wished to touch it. Every movement of his exuded bursting excitement, but Elros kept a calm outward demeanour as he came closer to the unicorn.

The white creature merely stood where he was not moving. Its gaze bored into the ellon approaching.

Galion stood back, not daring to follow Elros. He had not in his wildest imaginings thought that today he would be able to see a unicorn. He hadn't even known they actually existed… The stray thought that this could be an elaborate prank by some distasteful co-worker crossed his mind.

Elros was nearly within arm's reach of the beast. He tentatively stretched out his hand, realising that, despite his efforts, he was shaking with excitement or fear he did not know. The animal had something like an aura of splendour about him that made the guard certain this unicorn was truly genuine. The elf had never felt this way before. He felt dwarfed in its magnificent presence. Hesitantly, he spoke a greeting, "Hello there… um… Miss Unicorn." His words came pitifully uncertain and Elros cursed himself for sounding so naff. "I mean. Greetings, my" -

"I'm not a girl," the unicorn said dryly.

Elros' eyebrows shot to the sky and his face straightened instantly. "Uh… I'm sorry… You look" – Elros caught himself before saying _that_. "Forgive me, I was mistaken."

The unicorn gave a harsh snort. "Yeah, well. I get that a lot," he said turning his head to watch Galion slowly approach. He regarded both the ellyn one at a time before finally settling his multi-coloured eyes (his _eye_ , really… he only had one rainbow orb per side of the head) on Elros. "Congratulations, by the way you found me. I never thought I would be caught by a…"

"I am the Keeper of the Keys for King Thranduil," Elros supplied. The ellon had to put some effort into maintaining a level voice because, on the inside, he was screaming in delight. This was bloody AMAZING!

"Keeper of the Keys and..." the unicorn studied Galion, who had a face of sheer disbelief. "What are you?" He asked.

Galion narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Usually Elros was the sceptical one… the butler couldn't help but think that Elros must have been rubbing off on him more than he realised… Galion cleared his throat and straightened his back. "I am a butler to King Thranduil."

The unicorn nodded. _Vala, he nodded!_ Elros thought. His mind was racing even as the unicorn continued talking, "Hm. Well, I suppose it is nice to meet you. I never thought I would be found by a key keeper and a butler so this is an interesting day. Wait a minute, are you two virgins?"

The question surprised both ellyn.

"Elros most certainly is not," Galion said wryly, giving his friend the most teasing of looks.

Elros' dark eyes widened. He at least had the grace to blush. " _That_ is personal!" He said gruffly. "You most certainly are not either," he finished accusingly.

Galion sniggered not taking the comment seriously. He turned to the unicorn as the single-horned magical creature spoke up again. "I thought only virgins could find me… this isn't right," he mulled.

"I don't think it matters. Whoever started that ridiculous rumour was wrong," Elros concluded, happy to be moving off the subject.

Galion added his bit to further the conversation. "Do we get any reward for discovering the unicorn?" He asked curiously.

The unicorn stretched his long white neck. "I am to pledge my undying service and loyalty for ever and eternity to the one who finds me," The unicorn proclaimed, not completely stoked about the issue.

"Really?" Elros commented raising an eyebrow and bringing his hand to his chin in a thoughtful gesture. "I saw you first; does that make me your new master?"

Galion felt his jaw drop a considerable length. "Elros, you have no need or means to keep this unicorn," Galion began.

"I saw him first and who is to say that I cannot keep a unicorn?" Elros asked to no in particular. His mind was wandering with images of him and his unicorn riding to and fro within the realm… This could be wonderful. He could become Warden of the Sky… no wait, Pegasus's flew, not unicorns… oh well, he could easily come up with a more fitting name for himself. He could be the head guard of the palace, riding side by side with the king on his very own valiant steed. An elk and a unicorn ruling the galaxy together with an iron fist! He pulled his thoughts off that line… whoever heard of a "galactic ruler"?! It must have been from a dream or something.

Elros came back from his daydream with a slight shake of his head. He felt his face flush red but chose to ignore it. He had a better idea than ruling side by side with King Thranduil… This idea was far more realistic as well. "I have decided. You shall accompany Galion and I to the palace where I will be your master," he declared.

"Elros" —

"Don't worry, Galion. I know exactly what I am doing," Elros interrupted the butler.

With that, Elros turned and began the journey back to the palace. Galion quickly moved to follow the guard. The unicorn also followed, though at a further distance, bobbing his head slowly up and down. As he fell in step with the ellon, the butler lowered his voice to a whisper, "Elros, are you sure of bringing this creature to the palace? What if Thranduil finds out?"

Elros kept up his nonchalant attitude but replied with an equally quiet response, "Thranduil doesn't need to know Galion. And even if he finds out about my unicorn… I can always turn it around. It is fun to have a unicorn, indeed. However, if you are correct and Thranduil sees my unicorn and likes it and takes it, I can say that I found it for him and he will be so happy that he will give me a reward!"

Galion fixed his friend's chocolate irises with a dubious look. He supposed it wasn't the worst idea and Elros didn't have much to lose with the plan… It could work. "What about me? I helped you. What do I get?"

Elros shrugged, happy that the butler was not disagreeing with him. "You can have half," Elros said covertly.

The butler mulled it over, fighting the urge to glance back at their following unicorn. "A brilliant idea, mellon. You do have some dull note of cunning in you. We can make you a treacherous one with practice."

Elros chuckled, a light twinkling in the depths of his gaze. "Teach me, oh guru," Elros teased.

Galion screwed his face into a tight grin whilst staving laughter. "Valar, I have never been called a guru before," Galion chuckled out loud.

 **XxX**

 **Some time later at the palace**

"This was a horrible idea, Elros," Galion ground out through clenched teeth. "I think we are just going to have to go with plan B and give the unicorn to Thranduil."

"Yes, please. Any owner is better than you," the unicorn said heatedly.

Presently, the trio were riding over a narrow stone bridge that led to the Guard's Stables on the westward facing side of the palace. The sun was finally coming down in all her glory behind the line of tree canopies, filling the sky with the gorgeous pinks that Elros had been waiting for. Except, Elros wasn't enjoying the sights at this moment. Instead he was fretting about the situation the three of them were entering.

Elros sat on the bare back of his white unicorn (who looked lovely in this lighting by the way). Galion, after much persuasion, was riding behind Elros and now mumbling obscenities about the how the plan was not going to work. The unicorn was disguised as a regular horse wearing a long red scarf on its head, courtesy of Galion.

"Galion, don't you ever wear anything but red?" Elros said, trying to change the subject and put on a less nervous display.

"Don't you ever wear anything but brown and green?" Galion countered.

Elros was going to respond with something snarky when a cheery voice called from the watchman's booth. "Evening Elros! How's it all?"

Elros faced the watchman, pasting a bright smile on his face. "It is all good, mellon nín. Hopefully today has treated you well," Elros said.

The ellon nodded, his auburn hair shimmering in the final rays of the sun. "It has…" His voice faltered as the three ellyn neared the watchman. "What do you have here, if I may ask?" The watchman inquired, motioning with his hand towards the beautiful stallion before him. His eyes held a tinge of suspicion now, as if he suspected that Galion and Elros were up to some bad business.

"This is my horse," Elros chirped, trying hard not to sound forced. _This may not be the best idea after all_ , he thought… perhaps though he could turn it around. Of course, he could turn it around. Plan B had been better from the start.

"Ah, your horse…. He is wearing something new today," the guard continued obviously not convinced.

Elros swept his gaze around the area to see if anyone was close by enough to hear them. It didn't really matter but he had to keep up some sort of façade. _I hope this works._ "Yes, Sorrel is wearing something different, indeed, and he dyed his hair white. Do you like it? Kind of reminds me of Thranduil!" Elros said aloud in case anyone he could not see was listening, but the guard quickly lowered his voice and spoke directly to the watchman, "The horse is a gift for King Thranduil."

The watchman's brow furrowed. "What kind of gift?" He asked uncertainly.

"A surprise," Elros answered equivocally.

Galion decided this was his time to corroborate Elros. He was glad Elros had not wished to keep the unicorn a secret for the rest for their career. "It is a special surprise. Elros and I wish to present it to the king in the morning."

The watchman did not appear convinced but the trio had no more time to attempt assuring the ellon. A deep, luxurious voice sounded from behind the watchman. "I heard my name?"

Elros' dark eyes snapped up in surprise to meet the ice blue irises of his lord and king. Thranduil must have been coming from his elk's, Gladford, stall.

Galion felt his draw drop. _How?! Every single time!_ The butler thought incredulously.

The king eyebrows twerked upwards and he almost let his smirk show. "Am I mistaken? Because I know I am not."

Elros swallowed over the fear rising like a tide within him and gave the king his sweetest smile. "Indeed, you did hear your voice, my lord. We were just discussing something concerning you." The guard could see out of the corner of his eye Galion nodding in agreement with that fine statement.

The watchman was wisely staying silent.

"I see…" Thranduil took a step forward, reaching out a perfect hand to stroke the unicorn's pink nose. The unbelievable fact that this animal was an actual unicorn was mind blowing but the king could not allow that to show on his face. No, he had to remain collected. "Tell me Elros, what is this and how did you find such a creature."

The realisation that Thranduil knew was not lost on Elros nor on Galion. "I found it, my lord, in the forest merely standing around. It is a unicorn," Elros began while swinging himself off the unicorn's back. "It said that I was its master because I found it, but I thought that I was not worthy. I meant to give it to Galion, my friend instead, but the butler is quite a stubborn elf and thought that I should give it to the most worthy of ellyn in all of the planet. That is you." Elros concluded with a flamboyant bow.

Thranduil merely listened to the ellon's story. Whether or not it was true didn't matter, but this unicorn was a remarkable discovery. They probably wanted a reward he supposed… His mind went through all the possible things he could give these two elves. It finally rested with the one thing he had endless amounts of: time. Thranduil schooled his face into one of slight admiration. "Well done, then. I will accept your gift."

Elros nodded, daring to give the king a hopeful look. The guard would never have asked straightaway for a reward but he could hint.

"I think I will reward you for this feat. I grant you both three day's extra leave from your duties. Put my new pet in a stable separate from Gladford. That is all." With that, the silver-haired ellon turned to leave.

When the king was very far away, Elros let his excitement show. Galion laughed, slapping the guard hard on the shoulder blade. "You bloody dog. I cannot believe he allowed you to get away with that," Galion said excitedly.

Elros chuckled, smiling and pleased with both the praise and the look of respect on the watchman's face. He felt his face turning red again. "Let's get you into the stables, unicorn," Elros said, leading the way towards the mentioned location.

"Thank the Valar," the unicorn muttered, accepting Elros' lead gratefully.

Galion happily followed his friend. His grin widened with Elros' next words. "After we get unicorn into his spot. We can celebrate in Elsador's Halls!" Elros exclaimed, pumping a fist at the twilight sky.

Galion raised an imaginary glass. "Cheers to that!"


	5. Making New Friends: Part I

**A/N: This set between Keeper of the Keys and the Battle of Five Armies, when Elros is relatively new to the palace and the King's Guard. Part 1 of a three-shot. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Warnings: NONE**

 **Title: Making New Friends - Part I**

 **Prompt: "You're crazy"**

Two ellyn sat on a quiet shore. Lovely blue water ran calmly in a wide ribbon before them. The sun shone high, beautifully showing her brilliance like an unquenchable gem in the open, caerulean expanse above. The grey beach reflected her sunlight harshly; the crystal water even more so. The pair was sitting in the meagre shade of a tall, prickly bush with gleaming red berries. One was dressed in a new dark indigo military uniform and the other wore a subdued crimson tunic that had seen many years. There was silence over both of the ellyn as they fished in the gently scintillating water.

It only lasted a while, for the guard spoke up finally, "Thank you for inviting me to go fishing, Galion."

The butler squinted up at his companion, with a smile on his face. "I wouldn't have left you all alone."

"It means a lot to me. It really does. I did not expect such a welcome for a mere… carpenter," Elros said genuinely, watching the surface of the water and the swaying green plants under the current.

Galion chuckled, also drawing his gaze over the bright landscape. "You're a warrior now. I've heard much about your exploits so far. Tell me, are they true?"

Elros didn't want to speak much of it. In truth, he didn't think he belonged here in the first place. What was he but a carpenter from a tiny settlement in the mountains? He didn't feel like a warrior but these people seen him as one. His brother was the warrior. The thought and more came with the question. Finally, he settled with telling the truth and nothing but the truth. "I have done those things," he said.

Galion nodded bringing his left hand to his chin in a nonchalant gesture of mild interest. "I thought that they may have been exaggerated." He smiled again, glancing at the lean ellon beside him. Elros did not look like much to reckon with in a fight. Elros looked old, almost as old as Galion himself. "You don't look like a warrior. Not like Lethuin nor Osgar Bruion or even any other guard I have seen," he commented, trying to convey his light tone across to the elf.

Elros could plainly hear the tone in Galion's words. He had learned quickly that the butler liked to criticise if only for the fun of extracting a reaction. He didn't mind having someone to laugh with. It had been too long since he laughed so he did laugh. "I suppose. I have only been a warrior for a handful of weeks. I do hope I put on some weight though," Elros said examining his own form.

Galion took a chance, slapping the ellon kindly on the shoulder blade. "You will, just watch what you eat and keep to your regimen."

A grimace stretched across Elros' face at the mention of his "regimen". He did not seem to notice the touch when it had occurred. "I will have to keep to my regimen. I do not know what my commanding officer would do to me if I did not," Elros chuckled.

The butler gave an inner smile. He was glad to be able to help Elros relax. The Nandorin ellon had not been at the palace long and, indeed, he was getting used to the hierarchy. Galion did not know exactly what about Elros had intrigued him but he knew that he wanted to befriend the dark-haired ellon. Perhaps it was the peculiarity of the elf's arrival to the palace or perhaps it was Elros' own aura of eccentricity that pulled Galion towards Elros. Whatever it was, Galion was glad he had invited the ellon here on this outing.

"You probably don't want to think of it," Galion said. His voice inflected his contentment at the moment.

"Yeah, you are right. I don't," Elros said.

An awkward silence followed for a few long minutes, in which only the birds calling in their tall trees punctuated. The quiet was soon disturbed by the sound of footfalls approaching, however. They were light but in no rush, but the sound put Elros on alarm.

"It seems we have company," Galion commented, shifting to lean more comfortably on the sloped shore.

Elros found himself unconsciously mirroring the elf as he too changed to a slightly more comfortable position. The strange thought that he had only gotten one bite on his line this whole morning popped into his head for no reason… The ellon quickly shook the rogue thought away just in time to react to the loud noise of someone pushing, harshly through the brush. Elros stood rapidly in concern. His hand jumped to the hilt of his sword, but he quickly lowered it when he heard the words spoken.

A deep commanding voice suddenly barked out. "What in Mandos' Halls are you two doing? And how in the name Manwë did you get through this with all that junk?" The voice was accompanied by a face a moment later as Lethuin stepped through a bristly bush. His words were sharp but his countenance was one of mild annoyance flavoured with joking fun.

The officer carefully brushed himself off, removing a few gleaming, russet thorns from his green uniform and auburn hair. "Ouch."

Galion did not spare the officer a glance as he replied, "We didn't blunder through it like that for one thing," he said, holding his rod casually and watching the water.

Elros knit his brow as he fought with confusion. He really had no idea what was happening… Lethuin didn't appear to be angry like his words had hinted at… Galion seemed not worried at all. This was probably fine then…

The dark elf was relieved of his bewilderment, however when Lethuin set his blue eyes upon Elros'. "Elros, good afternoon. It is a fine day to fish," he said lowering his head and setting a hand to his heart momentarily.

Elros returned the gesture. "Yes… It is. Good afternoon to you too," he said as coolly as he was able to.

Lethuin motioned for the flustered elf to sit. Elros sat.

"So, tell me what you wanted," Galion said, this time turning to face the auburn-haired officer.

Lethuin grinned, taking his seat in the middle of the two ellyn. "I am looking for a pair of mental hooligans to help me with an adventure of sorts."

"What kind of adventure are you talking about because if it is anything remotely dangerous I refuse. I am a butler not a warrior," Galion said adamantly.

"I only need to get one thing from Laketown for the king and I wished for some companions," Lethuin rose his hand to interrupt Galion's protest. "It will only take the weekend at most and it will not be dangerous."

"You know I can't believe you," Galion said.

Elros only quietly watched the exchange. He was certainly interested but wasn't sure if he should go on any more adventures. He was fairly sure his previous excursions had been enough for him. Besides, he didn't even know what this was about…

Lethuin firmly set his fist into his palm and his voice took on a more solid tone. "I wouldn't have asked you if I thought you would have said no. Let's do it," he said looking hopefully at Galion's face.

The butler faced the river again, deliberating for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke, "Elros, do you want to go on an adventure with Lethuin and I? I don't suppose you have had any dealings with men before?"

Elros shook his head not really liking the idea of that race, but also being intrigued, in a way, by the thought of experiencing the world of men. "No, I haven't," he answered carefully.

Lethuin grinned uncharacteristically. "Do we have a trio?" He prompted.

The guard supposed it wouldn't be all that bad as long as they were back home before the weekend was over… He nodded. "Alright," he answered, smiling. This could be fun. "I'll go if Galion goes," Elros said, finding himself smiling once again.

"I love you crazy fools," Lethuin proclaimed proudly.


	6. Making New Friends: Part II

**A/N: Idk why this chapter came out so painfully. It was very hard to get on the page. I do hope it came out at least mediocrely.**

 **Warnings: NONE**

 **Title: Making New Friends: Part II: Sneaking About**

 **Prompt: "be careful"**

"So, what exactly do I need for this journey?" Elros asked holding up a darkly coloured tunic uncertainly.

Galion stepped up to Elros' side in order to inspect the garment in question. "Lethuin ordered black, but if you don't have that then I suppose the purple will have to do."

Elros nodded, immediately slipping off his current attire to change into the dark purple tunic. Galion moved back to counting the arrows in his quiver.

The two ellyn were in Elros' own chambers gearing up for the mission that they had gotten themselves into. The newly minted guard was starting to get a case of the jitters as the time to leave drew nearer but he quelled the fears by thinking that he was not going alone. Galion would accompany him. The butler was showing a surprising degree of composure. _He certainly knew his way around a bow,_ Elros pondered, as his chocolate irises rested on the other ellon, who was strapping his quiver onto his back.

Galion noticed his watchfulness. He gave a smirk but the mirth was quickly replaced with a hint of sombre warning. "No one ever knows about this," Galion said.

Elros nodded. He had already known that Galion had some sort of past that the butler did not like in the open. He met the hazel eyes of the butler and gave him his best reassuring smile. "Don't worry, mellon. I don't think it is very interesting to talk about anyways," Elros said, changing the smile into a goofy grin.

Galion fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was beginning to crack the hard shell of Elros the guard. "Oh, aye I am sure you could find something much more intriguing to discuss with the rest of your regiment. Like the exploits of Lethuin and the story we shall forge tonight."

Elros chuckled. "Hopefully tonight does not make too much of a riveting tale." The guard took his sword off the top of his bed, attaching it securely to his belt. "When is moonrise? It must be nearing," he asked.

"Too bad you didn't get a room with a window…" Galion commented.

"I suppose we will just have to go outside now and hope no one sees us dressed like this," Elros said, placing the finishing touches on his outfit. _There_ , he thought he was ready now…

Galion's eyes sparkled suddenly. "I think that won't be a problem. I know a few ways out of this palace that are unwatched."

Elros nodded, smiling. Of course, Galion new a way out unwatched. He opened the door. He scanned the curving hallway outside. It was empty, filled only with the soft amber light of torches. He tipped his head, signalling Galion to take the lead. The butler did not hesitate. It seemed he took on a completely different attitude in that moment and Elros was intrigued by his new friend. He was once again reminded why he shouldn't be worried. Galion seemed to know what he was doing… _Well, at least that is one of us_ , he thought dryly, immediately regretting the thought.

The guard followed the older elf throughout the myriad curving tunnels of the palace. Elros was still growing used to the place. He was not used to living in a cavern. It was all somewhat boggling. He had lived his entire life in the forest of the Northern Woodland Realm, never wishing to be anywhere else but the vast forests… He still wished he could be there sometimes but that was another life.

He continued thinking about his old forest that he now protected with the sword as Galion ducked sharply into a smaller storage room. Elros was not a few steps into the room when the door closed, turning everything to darkness. The chamber was black and, coupled with Galion's own dark attire, Elros was unable to see his companion.

A strong hand took Elros' own, startling the guard. Galion's voice whispered from somewhere in front of Elros, "Just don't let go. Last thing I need is for you to fall down the stairs."

At the mention of stairs, Elros' back straightened and a shot of anxiety coursed through his body. "Stairs?!" Before Elros was able to say anything else the hand tugged firmly, causing Elros' booted feet to shuffle forward. His sole suddenly met open air and Elros staggered reaching forward to grab something solid.

"Relax, and don't pull my hair," Galion said annoyingly. "You are not going to fall unless you freak out," he said, more gently but all the while determinedly dislodging his companion's solid grip. He had known the guard would have had that kind of reaction, but the least the ellon could have done was _not_ mess up his hair. Galion calmed himself… The poor ellon was rather surprised. "You okay?" He asked.

Elros untangled his fingers from Galion's loose locks and cloak. He nodded, even so realising that the butler could not see him. Elros cleared his throat and finally found his voice. "I am fine. Let us continue. It had merely startled me." He held out his hand for Galion to take once again. Feeling somewhat ridiculous, he retracted it, however. "I'll use the wall as my guidance," he said, while pressing his palm against the rough stone wall.

"If that is what you want," Galion said with a smirk. The butler wasted no time making it down the stairway. The tunnel had been carved by someone a long time ago with a need for a quiet escape and now Galion was using it to his advantage. His footsteps moved with experienced surety down the staircase. He could hear Elros falling behind and a couple of times, the butler had to halt his own progress to wait for the guard. Finally, the two made it to the end of the passage.

Elros stumbled into a moonlit cavern… Well, it wasn't much of a cavern. The space was more like a rocky dell with a half caved-in ceiling, which allowed the cold white stars to be seen. Galion stood a couple of meters into the twilit area speaking with a darkly clad warrior whom Elros guessed was Lethuin. Elros stepped forward, unconsciously straightening his tunic and dusting off his hands. It had been obvious that the tunnel they had just left had never been cleaned.

The two ellyn faced their inexperienced companion. White teeth sparkled and Lethuin's voice filed the chamber. "Good to see you Elros. Are you ready?"

Elros suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline, vaporising all earlier thoughts about the dank tunnel. The grin was contagious and he smiled back. "Yes, sir."

 **XxX**

"How far is Laketown?" Elros asked trying not to sound like a bored elfling, but feeling that he was failing miserably.

Galion felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He had to fight the temptation to answer with a: "we get there when we get there!" They were nearing the boat now, and would be arriving within a few minutes. Elros could wait for his answer. Instead, Galion turned his gaze to take in the lovely vanilla twilight of the moon beaming down on them.

Lethuin had no such desires. "We are nearly there, but before we leave the shore, let us go over the plan," he said.

Elros perked up at that news. He had been very curious as to what exactly he had gotten into. Though he had been content to just quietly listening without knowing too much… The last time he had persisted in knowing exactly what had been going on had been a mistake. He shivered at the memory-

Lethuin spoke into his thoughts, "Here is what I had intended. There is a man in this town that has something that our king wants. We go in, locate his house, break in without getting caught, steal the necklace, remove ourselves from the scene, and come back before the sunrise," he said flatly as if he had done this so many times before.

 _He probably has,_ Elros found himself thinking. He didn't know what else to think about that plan. The thought that the king wanted a necklace so badly that he would send an undercover team to retrieve it didn't seem at all unconceivable! He tutted at that thought…

"You make it sound like one of those cooking manuals," Galion said sardonically, cutting though the cool air of the night and not even bothering to look at the officer.

Lethuin ignored the butler's words. He knew Galion was enjoying this. Of course, he was. The ellon was hardly ever let out of the palace. Lethuin eyed Elros. The purple-garbed ellon was unusually silent. "What do you think, Elros?"

Elros chuckled, as if his opinion mattered. _Make it fun, Elros_ , he told himself, and he did. He fisted his hand. "Sounds like a good idea,"he pronounced.

Lethuin gave a curt nod. He turned his head and kicked his horse into a faster trot to hide his growing mirth. The guard's enthusiasm was a good sign.

It did not take long at all for the three ellyn to reach the shore. The water lapped at the grey knees of the sandy beach with a mesmerising sound but the trio was not here to enjoy the beautiful night. Lethuin's azure gaze flew over the pristine silver lake. The water reflected the creamy light of the moon in the sky like a mirror, still Lethuin did not let his mind wander. His eyes were drawn to a point in the middle of the glistening lake that shone golden from torches: a city on the water. Lethuin dismounted his horse, while not taking his eyes off their target. He was vaguely aware of his companions working on getting their boat prepared.

"Are you ready, leader?" Galion asked snarkly, still struggling to get a reaction out of the always cool officer. It certainly was a challenge.

That butler really could be an arse sometimes, the ellon seemed to enjoy getting on his nerves. Lethuin turned his attention back to his charges. The two had gotten their small, wooden boat ready and were waiting on Lethuin. _Good._ He decided to play along and poke some fun at the elder of the group. "Elros, don't ever turn into a Galion," he said, stepping into the wobbly vessel. He had forgotten how much he hated the water.

Elros chuckled semi-nervously, climbing easily into the craft they had geared up. He didn't know what to reply to that… Luckily, a reply was supplied by Galion, relieving Elros from that burden.

"Bastard," the butler said straight to the officer's face before stepping into the vessel. He struggled for a moment, but was steadied by Elros' firm hand.

Lethuin forced his smirk down. He ignored the butler's words, instead taking the oars and pushing off. It was always merely plain words. When people started shooting Lethuin trusted Galion enough… well he used to be pretty handy to have around…Hopefully the hazel-eyed ellon had not become too rusty. If Galion had, Lethuin would make sure Galion never heard the end of it. Right now, he had to keep the team focused. They did have an important mission for the Realm to accomplish.

Laketown was steadily growing in their field of view. The ramshackle city was not a very beautiful sight, indeed, even in the dark the place looked filthy and wet. It really was a miserable affair visiting at any time of the day, but a perk of the winding town was that it had many places to hide. The many lopsided buildings were, for the most part, lit and patrolled by the Master's guardsmen. There were a handful of outlying buildings that were privately held or abandoned. These, would be the way they got in. Galion silently wondered if the men of the lake would ever think about refurbishing some of the old structures. They certainly did not look habitable in their present state.

Elros held tightly to the sides of the boat. He was accustomed to water faring and the lake was very tame this night, but the reality of what he had signed up to do was dawning on him and it made him somewhat queasy. Lethuin was confident about how easy this mission would be, but Elros had never done anything like this before. _There is a first time for everything_ , he thought trying to console himself. Distraction always worked best for him, so he distracted his mind with thoughts of why the king would want a necklace of men.

The obvious answer was that this necklace wasn't of men. Everyone knew the tales surrounding the king's gems of Lasgalen that had been stolen by the dwarves. Thranduil had most likely located one of those artefacts and naturally wanted it back. They were the king's instruments in this deed. He should have felt proud of serving his king. (Lethuin certainly was. The auburn-haired ellon had adopted a stern posture that Elros had seen the officer assume when he was about to go into any battle.)

Lethuin whispered into Elros' thoughts as if he had known that Elros had been thinking of him. "Keep focused and look for a quiet docking place," he ordered, not taking his eyes off the boardwalk that wrapped around the town like an uncomfortably tight girth belt. Men marched in orderly rotations along the wooden planks, their boots thudding clearly over the water. "Stay low," he added, making himself small and giving the boat one last push which sent the vessel smoothly gliding forward.

Elros and Galion followed their leader's order and crouched low into the belly of the vessel. For a moment as they drew near the protected barrier, Elros thought they would surely be seen. The dim orange glow of the torches appeared far too bright for Elros' liking. It seemed, however, that the guards' watch was not concerned for them, or perhaps the stealthy craft was really that invisible against the water. Whatever the reason, the moment they past under the boardwalk Elros let go of a breath he had not realised he had been holding in.

Galion waited for a moment longer to breathe out a whisper and point to his left at a gloomy wharf. "There is a quiet dock."

Lethuin nodded, very carefully taking the oars again and directing the boat to rest at the dock. Galion quickly removed himself from the vessel to stand on the wooden platform. It swayed back and forth as the butler's boots hit, causing Galion to lurch.

Elros carefully stood and joined the butler followed by Lethuin. It was definitely a rickety old thing… much like everything in the town.

Lethuin remained fairly sure footed on the platform, but gave a harsh whisper, "You found a pathetic excuse for a landing zone," he muttered.

Elros smirked, very carefully manoeuvring to a more stable area. They were at the foot of a three story, seemingly abandoned building.

Galion moved to the side of the younger ellon while giving Lethuin a mildly annoyed reply. "Well, I am sorry I couldn't find you a pink one," he said ruffled. The actual platform the dock branched off of was much more stable. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Elros' wide-eyed stare as the elf took in the new surroundings.

He made up his mind to keep an eye on Elros. The guard had never been here before and it would be terrible for him to get lost. "Now, where are we going?" Galion asked.

Lethuin reached into the satchel slung over his shoulder. The officer pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment. "Here is the map. It may be a little old," he said while opening the aforementioned document.

Galion and Elros crowded around the ellon. Elros had to accustom himself for a moment. It was a very confusing city for one thing. Buildings were placed here and there, even on top of each other, without any perceivable pattern. Men certainly were a mystery. Lethuin pointed to a square building that had been circled in red ink. "That is our target," he pronounced.

Elros looked up scanning the area around them for some sort of landmark where they could begin the short walk to the target. They had been in luck to have found a dock close by to the house.

Galion pointed his finger to the south. "It looks like we had better go this way," he whispered. Before anyone could answer him, Galion started up the wooden plank alone.

Lethuin sighed to himself but the butler was correct it would be best to take the shortest route. Every second they spent in this city was another second they could get caught. He gave Elros an indecipherable look and moved to follow Galion.

The younger guard was quite content to just start walking in a direction. He tried his best to walk as silently as possible. (It was not hard. after all, he was a wood elf. Stealth was one of his greatest assets.) Staying focused was his only hardship as they smoothly weaved throughout the claustrophobic city, ducking behind a wall or a barrel as guards walked past or nimbly leaping over a fence with silent grace.

The trio finally came to the building they wished to reach. It was indeed a square and rather plain. Elros tilted his head as he considered the house and thought that it reminded him of paper box which had been thoroughly sat upon. It sagged in the most undelightful way. Elros was about to open his mouth to poke a bit of fun at the sight, but Galion beat him to it.

"You said this mission wasn't going to be that dangerous," Galion accused.

Lethuin raised an eyebrow in questioning, meeting the butler's hazel gaze.

Galion continued, "This decorum can kill if the structural integrity doesn't first, that is."

Elros suppressed a grin. Lethuin merely rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Just be happy you don't have to live here. There _are_ people less fortunate the you, Galion," Lethuin said. His expression quickly changed from one of light-heartedness to one of stern determination, however. "Galion since you are so loathe to venture into this house of men, you can stay outside and keep watch. If you see anything give a call. Try not to kill anyone but if you have to, don't hesitate. No Sindarin here, only use Westron, and be careful."

Galion crossed his arms but gave a curt nod. "Alright."

With that taken care of, Lethuin turned to face Elros. "Let us go in," he said, suddenly breaking into movement, taking off towards the building. He lithely jumped atop a barrel set against the side of the structure and launched himself upwards, his grip catching the lip of a second story window.

"Well, go ahead Elros. Just like that," Galion prompted.

The butler had already disappeared to an unknown hiding spot when Elros turned his head to reply to him. His dark gaze returned back to Lethuin who was pulling himself covertly into the house. Elros swallowed. "Come on, Elros. Just like that. It's easy." He steeled himself to jump in.


	7. Making New Friends: Part III

**Here is the last one shot in the series! I had a lot of fun writing this one, much different to the last.**

 **Warnings: NONE**

 **Title: Making New Friends: Part III**

 **Prompt: "get out!"**

Elros leapt on top of the barrel that Lethuin had used to get inside of the building. He looked up at the ledge and primed himself to jump. It was a daunting distance upwards to the sill of the window, but Elros consoled himself with the knowledge that if Lethuin could do it then he could do it as well… albeit with a slightly higher degree of difficulty because of his shorter height. Elros realised this when his fingers scarcely caught the ledge. The jump had been the problem and subsequently pulling himself up was much easier than he had imagined. Elros hefted himself into the room, careful not to make any noise.

The room he had entered was dark, not being lit by the moon's silver hue and containing no lit torches or candles. It felt crowded, perhaps being used as some sort of storage area or a common room. While his eyes slowly acclimated, he noticed the outline of many stacked boxes and tables filling the area. Indeed, there was a plethora of objects within the room… He caught sight of movement to his left.

Lethuin gave a soft whisper. "This way, Elros," he said leading a path through the maze of darkened shapes within the room.

Elros nodded, forgetting that Lethuin could not see him, and moved to follow the ellon. He weaved cautiously and quietly to the doorway. The two crept out of the room.

They found themselves in a slightly lighter hallway. A slender shaft of milky twilight extended down from a small round window set near the ceiling. They stepped down the hallway to the next room, cringing every time the rough boards beneath their feet creaked under their boots.

Lethuin signed for Elros to check one of the doors coming off of the hall. Elros gave another nod and moved to the door while Lethuin moved further along the quiet hallway, closer to the narrow stairwell.

Elros steeled himself with a deep breath before opening that door. His hand hovered over the brass latch for a second while he willed himself to remain clam. As long as he remained calm everything would be fine… That and as long as he didn't stub his toe. He reminded himself to not stub his toe. That would suck.

Sensing that he was tranquil enough not to horribly screw up, the elf lifted the latch and swiftly entered the room lest too much light enter the dark bedroom and possibly wake up an inhabitant. He blew out a low breath and straightened up from his crouch when he was certain that his presence was unnoticed. _Good,_ he gave an internal sigh of relief. Now he merely needed to rummage through their drawers and find their jewellery box.

 _It should be somewhere on a dresser or something_ … He thought as he soundlessly stepped up to the large shadow that he was assuming was the dresser.

His sharp ears suddenly caught the sound of heavy breathing coming from what was obviously the canopied bed. Elros' back stiffened and he felt his heartrate increase exponentially. The surge of panic only lasted for a moment once he realised it originated from a _sleeping_ human. He took a deep breath and centred his thoughts once again, resisting the urge to crinkle his nose at the sound of snoring.

With all that sound, he should be okay to do a little bit of searching at least. It would do nicely to cover his own noises. His ghosting fingers found a small square box, immediately calling to mind the image of exactly what Elros was looking for. He gripped it and sure enough the small carved wood chest was heavy. It rattled slightly as if it were filled only sparsely. Elros cradled it to his chest with one hand and groped in the dark for anything else that was suspicious.

Nothing else could be found. Elros glanced back at the bed behind him. The breathing still sounded regular. He probably had enough time to dig for the necklace. He looked around the room and found the curtained window. Cracking the fabric open slightly Elros placed the box on the window sill and opened it.

The wooden chest was, indeed, filled poorly. However, there was a necklace. It was a beautiful necklace that shimmered as it caught the gentle rays of the moon. It was captivating to Elros.

The gems set within the silver metal were firmly set, exquisitely crafted by a hand that could never be mistaken for the craft of men. This had to be the necklace they had come on this mission for. Elros greedily snatched the beauty out of the box and shoved it into his trousers' pockets. He removed the cheaper replica that Lethuin had given him just before they had left on this excursion from his pocket and placed it in the original place. The man who owned the necklace ( _or more likely his wife,_ Elros thought) would not notice… hopefully not.

Elros placed the jewellery box back where he had found it and made a silent retreat from the room. He chuckled as soon as the door was closed. The man would have hell to pay if his wife found out it wasn't real… This mission was going pretty well.

Elros must have thought too soon because not a second after that observation had manifested in Elros' mind a loud, gruff bark sounded from the bottom floor.

Several things happened at once after Elros registered that panic-inducing sound. Lethuin scrambled up the narrow stairway eyes bulging and definitely not being quiet anymore. Another bark cut through the formerly still atmosphere. A bright orange light bloomed from the bottom of the stairs and a man downstairs yelled out an unintelligible order.

It took a second for all this to cause a reaction but Elros came back to himself and turned to bang out as quickly as he could. He turned on his heel and hastily retraced his steps to the room from which they had come from.

Elros was vaguely aware of Lethuin following him. The auburn-haired ellon slammed the door shut behind him and hurriedly flipped one of the tables against the wooden door, sending paraphernalia scattering over the floor. Elros pushed through the many boxes in the room and finally reached the window.

The sound of men's boots and the barking filled the house. They pounded on the door, threatening to break it down. Elros didn't waste any time looking back to see if they were able to get through it. He jumped out of the window and landed nimbly atop the barrel. Thank the Valar it did not bust under the sudden weight placed on it. He leapt onto the ground level, noting the sound of Lethuin landing behind him. All Elros wanted to do was run away. Panic rushed through his body, but he couldn't let his adrenaline make him do something stupid. Luckily, Lethuin was near at hand to offer instant guidance.

"Back to the boat. Galion will be there," Lethuin hissed as he broke into a swift run in the direction of their boat.

Elros followed his leader, acutely aware that the entire district was alighting in torches at the raising of the alarm by the homeowners. The two elves ducked and moved through the crowded corridors of the city. It was easy to get lost in the city and Elros was now struggling to keep his bearings straight amid the disorder. He quickly jumped over a barrel that had been knocked over by Lethuin.

The sound of rushing footsteps was closing in on them, pounding against the bare wooden docks. Elros caught sight through a slim space between two squished houses of silver armour sparkling in the night. They were going to get caught-

Lethuin made a sudden turn, startling Elros. The younger ellon was not fast enough to have followed the other and would have had to skid to a halt if Lethuin had not called out hoarsely. "Keep going!" He called.

Elros ground his jaw and determinedly continued on his run. _Of course._ He was always being left alone to finish the mission by himself. A shout and flailing arms trying to grab him flew out from behind a corner. Elros was barely able to miss the grip of the man with a timely twist. His hands found a loose board hanging off the roof of a house. Elros slammed the plank into the tall plumed helmet of the guard. It was enough of a hit to cause the man to crumple.

Elros wasn't out of it yet. The delay had allowed the other chasers to gain on him. He quickly picked up his speed once again, feeling himself grin with the adrenaline coursing through his body.

These men were fast and had the advantage of knowing their city but they did not have elven agility. Elros vaulted over a rickety bridge in his path, landing lightly. That would keep them. He ducked behind a building having lost his pursuers for now. The elf very quickly made his way back the direction where the boat was.

Finally, he caught sight of Galion waiting apprehensively in the shadows. "Where is Lethuin?" Elros asked through heavy breaths as he jogged to the side of his companion.

Galion shrugged. "I did not see him. I am sure he is fine." The butler stepped carefully into the boat. "We won't wait for him… unless he was able to find the necklace?" Galion asked hopefully.

Elros shook his head. "I have it," he said scanning the area. This area of the city was abuzz and they would not be able to go unnoticed here for much longer. He hoped Lethuin would get here soon. _He will,_ he told himself. Lethuin was more experienced at getting out of tight situations then either of them.

Galion took the oars. "Then get in. We cannot risk the mission-" He started but his words were cut off by the commotion of a chase breaking around the corner.

Both ellyn whirled around to face the disturbance.

Lethuin was dashing towards them at full tilt. His face was one of controlled panic… If that was possible.

Elros immediately obeyed Galion's previous orders and hastily climbed into the small boat.

It was fractions of seconds later when Lethuin danced over the swaying planks making up the dock and slipped into the vessel as well. The men chasing him turned the corner at that moment, but Galion pushed away from the dock with strong arms. Elros lifted a paddle out of the bottom of the boat and guided the vessel through the water in accompaniment to Galion.

"We are going to need cover fire to cross under the boardwalk," Lethuin ordered giving Galion a sharp look.

The butler nodded curtly, handing over command of the oars to Lethuin. Elros dropped his paddle and took the quiver and bow that Lethuin had stashed in the boat for himself. Elros was not used to using this type of bow but he would have to make it work. He silently cursed himself for only bringing is sword.

Elros nocked an arrow even as Galion's own bow sang, sending an arrow flying over the rippling water.

Elros took aim at the group of men that were now dispersing, planning on splitting up and taking shots from various other points along the waterway. The elf made certain not to actually hit any of the men but kept up the fire. He needed to keep the men at bay until the trio reached open water. He doubted even then they would be able to take it easy. These men were water farers and damn good ones at that. Elros predicted the guards on the lake had been notified of them and were probably already waiting for the three thieves. Elros took another shot, not hearing his own arrow's path over the sound of the men's shouting.

Galion himself was shooting forward at the fast-approaching boardwalk. There were already about fifteen men with bows and crossbows stationed along the wooden walkway.

The guards took blind shots at the water, not seeing the grey boat against the brilliant moon beams reflecting off the lake's face. Galion nocked another arrow and sent it sailing satisfyingly into the post right beside one the guards. The man startled and almost fell into the water. Galion smirked. This _wasn't_ that bad.

The butler's smile left him quickly when one of the men noted their position and let an arrow loose. It sailed far to close, nearly snapping the right oar from Lethuin's hands. Galion sent an answering shot that hit flesh, piercing the man in the shoulder and procuring a loud scream.

Behind him, Galion heard a sharp intake of breath issue from Lethuin. "Sorry," Galion whispered apathetically.

The death of one their own seemed to make the men hesitate, a hesitation which was quickly taken advantage of by the ellyn. Galion let loose a few more shots until they passed under the boardwalk. He knew that the other side would be the most difficult. The guards would have to be stupid not to know where the trio would be emerging.

Galion was right. He hated being right about these things. The shower of arrows came down and each elf counted himself lucky that none found a living mark. The boat, however, was suddenly arrayed with a dozen arrows sticking up from various places like the spike adorning a hedgehog's back. Elros aimed his bow and took a few more shots but the open water was much easier for Lethuin to navigate and, soon, the boat was out of crossbow range.

The leader of the trio drove the oars through the water, carving little waves into the once tranquil water until they were safely out of the reach of Laketown's archer's sight.

Galion shot one last arrow over Elros' shoulder. It snagged a soldier on the prim plume of his helmet. A sudden hush fell over the three, punctuated only by the sound of Lethuin's thrusts and the ellyn's harsh breathing.

The men of the Laketown did not appear to be following them any longer. Elros had thought that they would have sent boats out… "I thought they would have sent boats out," Elros said quietly, breaking the silence.

Lethuin did not take his eyes off wat was in front of him. He remained silent.

"I am glad they didn't," Galion said. "I suppose we are someone else's problem now."

Elros let his head drop in a sudden mix of tiredness and relief. He smiled then snorted. "That reminds me of our king," he said, lifting his head and letting the smile turn into a grin.

Galion laughed a hearty laugh. "It really does."

Lethuin turned to cut brusquely into the two's conversation. "Elros, did you get the necklace by chance?" He asked, hoping that this mission had not been an utter failure.

Elros dug into his pocket and produced the beautiful treasure with a triumphant sparkle in his dark eyes. "Mission accomplished, Lethuin," he pronounced.

Lethuin almost sagged as relief washed over him, but he was able to restrain himself. He wasn't able to supress the smile that crossed his face no matter how hard he tried. "So it seems." Lethuin faced the shore again, delight filling his soul. This was wonderful. "Looks like drinks are on King Thranduil tonight!" He said enthusiastically through white teeth.

Elros hooted and Galion threw a fist at the velvet, star-studded sky.


	8. Galion's Secret Pleasure

**A/N: Because I have a new pipe.**

 **Warnings: Smoking is a health hazard. Continue at your own risk.**

 **Title: Galion's Secret Pleasure**

 **Prompt: "That's really bad"**

Elros the Guard pulled the helmet off his head, happy to be unleashing his dark locks from their former prison. The soft breeze sent a shrill feeling of coolness shooting over his scalp. He gave a soft moan, running his fingers through the tresses to further the feeling. The breeze obliged with his desire, continuing to gently toy for a moment longer. The guard sighed heartily. He hated such long drills, getting back home was always the thing that he looked forward to.

"Valar, I can't wait to get out of this armour," he spoke quietly to his horse, Sorrel, while patting him gingerly on the neck. His eyes scanned over the empty stable yard. The sun was going down, lazily shedding one last spectacular display of golden colours. The birds were flittering back to their homes; the robins were putting on one last symphony for the night. "It is a beautiful evening, isn't it?" He said aloud, wondering why he must always fill the silence.

He took another deep breath of the sweet, clean air. A swiftly moving spring rain had showered the land later yesterday and the earth was still fresh. Sorrel began down the small road leading through the yard to the stables meant for the palace guard. Elros snorted. "You and I both are excited for bed… Though I would like an ample meal first before bed."

The horse raised and lowered his head in response. Elros believed the animal could respond, that is. Of course, he could! Sorrel was an elvish horse and elvish horses were unlike those of men.

"I do wonder why the grounds are so quiet," Elros mused. His looked this way and that, searching for someone, anyone. "Is it a holiday?"

Before he could receive an answer a hint of a tangy aroma tickled his nose, which in turn wrinkled. It was a sickly-sweet scent, almost nauseating. "Oh…" Elros unconsciously brought his hand up to his nostrils.

Sorrel snorted violently. "Don't worry," Elros soothed the steed. "Where on earth is _that_ coming from?" He scanned the yard once again, half expecting to see an entire building on fire. The odour was overpowering. It seemed to be wafting from the north side of the stables. A touch of worry crept into Elros' mind. He hoped nothing was on fire. It certainly smelt like something was burning. _I better find out what it is…_ he thought to himself.

"Come on, Sorrel. What if someone is in trouble?" He gave the horse a firm kick on the side. Sorrel was loath, but started in the direction Elros wished to go: towards the smell's origin.

Horse and rider soon came to one smaller tool barn. It did not look on fire… Elros dismounted carefully, watching the building as if it could suddenly burst into flames in an instant. The guard gave Sorrel a soft pat on the shoulder. "Good boy." The odour was exceedingly strong here and Elros had to fight from becoming ill. Elros took a step back but halted and startled when, out of the corner of his eye, he seen movement. He whirled to face the sight, but relaxed when he seen who it was. "Sorrel!" Elros whispered hoarsely. He felt his shoulders relax but his fists balled in annoyance.

The horse turned his head to face Elros. The steed had been making a speedy exit but stopped when he heard his name called. Now, he laid his ears back in apology.

"Fine, go." Elros turned back to the reeking barn. "I can't blame you."

"Elros?!"

Elros startled again, this time his head snapped up towards the source of the voice. His brow furrowed at what he saw. "Galion?!"

The small butler was looking down from the second story window with a smoking pipe in his hand. " _What_ are you doing?!" Elros called up. His eyes focused on the object Galion was holding. "What is that?!" The guard exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets and his jaw falling flat.

Galion vanished back inside, his face switching from muddled curiosity to a grimace.

Elros darted to the door, tearing it open and quickly moving to the ladder that led to the upstairs. He pulled himself up. The pungent smell of smoke was now forgotten. He came up to the top only to come face to face with his best friend.

Galion raised an eyebrow. His hands were empty now. "Elros, what a surprise. I was just leaving to go find you."

Elros mirrored Galion's raised eyebrow. He placed his hands on his non-existent hips. "I saw you." He sniffed the air, immediately regretting it. "I _smell_ it."

Galion supressed a smile, but it merely made the grin on his face a sloppy one. "Fine. I was broadening my tastes," the butler harmlessly stated.

"Broadening tastes, my arse. I can't believe you smoke those horrid things." Elros wrinkled his nose as the smell crept back on him. "They smell terrible!"

"Nonsense, they don't… Well, maybe a little."

"Why?" Elros asked confusedly.

"It tastes really great." Galion's voice carried a hint of hidden pleasure. "Do you wish to try some? I only have a little bit more left but I can give you some." The butler carefully removed his chestnut pipe from the red tunic he was wearing. He also produced a small leather pouch.

Curiosity nagged at Elros. It didn't look at all appetising. Even the thought of putting something that smelled so horrible was an unappealing idea. So why did he feel so compelled to try it now? Was it because Galion so obviously enjoyed smoking the pipe or was it merely the tantalising idea of trying something new? He really had no idea. It was not the best idea, a corner of his mind told him so, but maybe that was the driving factor.

"All right, lemme see it," Elros finally consented, snatching the thing from Galion's loose grasp. "How in Mandos' Halls do you use it?"

Galion briefly overviewed the subtleties of smoking the pipe than packed the weed. The butler moved to light the weed. He met the guard's dark eyes. "Now, don't you inhale this smoke… Just taste it."

Elros nodded. His eyebrows jumped up at the preluding snap of the match. He was actually feeling somewhat excited… Until he gave a deep puff and accidentally did exactly what Galion had told him not to.

Elros' reflexes instantly took over and he broke into a hacking cough, not feeling well at all suddenly.

Galion rolled his eyes to the ceiling then moved to comfort his friend's wracking body. "I warned you," he complained.

"I didn't mean too," Elros painfully croaked. His red face was screwed into disgust. "That was really bad."

Galion smirked, taking the still lit pipe from Elros' hand. He brought the item to his own mouth. "I don't think so."

"You are so sick."

"Wrong, you are," Galion teased, gently patting the recovering Elros' back because he felt bad for the younger ellon.

"Touché."


End file.
